21.09.10
Health technology in the home
New remote monitoring services are helping patients with long-term conditions feel better, have fewer hospital admissions and have even helped to save a life, reports Niki McGrath
Over 150 patients across east and north Birmingham are now benefiting from an assistive technology machine in their home which allows them to easily record readings of their weight, pulse, oxygen level and blood pressure.
Each time a reading is taken, the data is automatically sent to a telephone-based support service for people with long-term conditions, for nurses to monitor. If a reading gives cause for concern, the patient’s assertive case manager is alerted and will call round to check up on the patient if necessary.
The success of the project was recently revealed in a patient survey. Since using the assistive technology machines, 63% of patients said they had experienced fewer unplanned admissions to hospital and 67% felt that their general health was more stable. In addition, 74% said that they felt less anxious about their health and 54% felt they had been able to do more with their friends and family. And 90% of patients said they would recommend the service to their family and friends.
“The results of this survey show how valued assistive technology is by the people who use it, as it helps them to manage their condition better, live more independently and enjoy a better quality of life,” says Dr Richard Mendelsohn, Director of Chronic Disease Systems at NHS Birmingham East and North, the PCT that commissions the service.
And the technology has already saved the life of one COPD patient after the readings from her machine revealed she had dangerously low oxygen levels. Carol Bradley’s Assertive Case Manager Sophie arranged for Carol to go straight to hospital, following an alert by the monitoring service, where she received life saving treatment. Sophie says: “I am sure that had Carol fallen asleep with those oxygen levels she would have died and believe the assistive technology saved her life.”
Following the project’s success, NHS Birmingham East and North is now offering patients a multi-lingual assistive technology machine which can be programmed to speak to them in any one of 17 languages.
“These new multilingual machines are the next step as it means that patients with long-term conditions who don’t speak English can also benefit from the technology. So far we’ve installed four machines – two Urdu-speaking, one Bengali-speaking and one Polish-speaking, and, if successful, we hope to install many more in the future,” added Dr Mendelsohn.
Mohammad Hanif, aged 80, from Small Heath, has COPD and has recently had an Urdu speaking machine installed in his home. “It’s very good” said Mohammad. “I feel better now”.
Niki McGrath is communications manager at NHS Birmingham East and North
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